1.  On guidelines, targets and missions of Fatherland protection

In any conditions and circumstances, defence and security mission must serve the aim of firmly protecting national independence, sovereignty, unity and integrity; protecting the Party, State, People and socialism; maintaining political stability, social order; actively preventing and defeating all schemes and acts of sabotage of hostile forces; being ready to respond to global non-traditional security threats; not being made unprepared and surprised in any situations. The draft not only pointed out the crucial mission of defence and security but also manifested a development in theoretical thinking of the Party as stating that consolidating defence, maintaining national security, political stability, social order and safety is the crucial and permanent mission of the Party, State and the whole political system and People in which the People’s Army and the People’s Public Security are the key forces.

Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong and members of the Politburo in a recent working session with the standing board of the Central Military Commission (Photo: VNA)

2. On building defence and security forces

The draft paid special attention to the synergy of the armed forces, making them being truly a political force resolutely loyal to the Homeland, the Party, State and People with reasonable strength and high combat capability; to building a powerful reserve force, an widespread self-defence and militia force, contributing to firmly protecting Vietnam Socialist Homeland. In our opinions, to that end, it is necessary to define the basic contents of building defence and security forces as: building the People’s Army and the People’s Public Security revolutionary, regular, seasoned, and gradually modern with priority being given to the modernization of some important service, corps and forces; strong politically; raising the synergy and combat capability to ensure that the military and Public Security will always accomplish their assigned tasks. To meet the requirements of protecting the Homeland in the new situations, it is necessary to attach more importance to strengthening resources for defence and security; fostering the development of defence industry towards dual-use direction to create modern material and technical base for these forces. Therefore, the draft need to point out that: proactively preparing forces and concrete and scientific combat plans capable of protecting firmly national independence, sovereignty, unity and integrity and security in any situations.

3. On strengthening both defence and security potential and posture

Strengthening defence and security potential also means focusing on social-economic development, building “people’s heart and mind posture” as pointed out in the Draft: “Combining closely economic, cultural and social factors with defence and security and defence and security with economic, cultural and social factors in each strategic plan… Combining closely  defence, security and external affairs, strengthening international cooperation in defence and security. Building “people’s heart and mind posture”, creating solid base…” However, to implement the task to protect the Homeland with a new, broader and more comprehensive sense, the defence and security education mission needs to have a proportional knowledge system to popularize defence and security understanding, hostile forces’ acts of sabotage, particularly the schemes of “peaceful evolution”, and “self evolution”, “self transformation”.

4. On promoting the strength of great national solidarity

The Draft pointed out: “Promoting all resources and creativity of people”; “Respecting different views provided that they are not against national interests”. To do this, it should clarify the following missions and solution: First, it is necessary to institutionalize and concretize the Party’s viewpoints, lines and policies on uniting the whole nation in consolidating defence and security for Homeland protection; second, it is necessary to effectively carry out mechanisms, policies and promote the role of People in deciding significant issues of the country; third, it is urgent to promptly surmount shortcomings to ensure the effectiveness of supervisory role and social criticism of the Vietnam Fatherland Front and socio-political organizations.

Snr. Col., Assoc. Prof. Tran Nam Chuan